The present invention relates to a programmable automatic means for the deposition in a precise position of a minute and precise quantity of liquid on an analytical or analysis support.
This automatic means is more particularly intended for supplying with successive samples deposited on supports to equipment for the successive analysis of a solution when the solution quantity to be deposited is of small volume (1 to 20 microliters).
This automatic means is also suitable for supplying equipment for analyzing solution samples, when it is not possible or not wished to use more than a small amount of the solution, which can e.g. be the case in medical analysis.
More specifically, the invention aims at providing a programmable automatic means simultaneously having all the following performance characteristics:
the sample must be taken in a minute quantity of just a few small drops, with a high accuracy and total reproducibility of the number of drops; PA1 the taking of each successive sample from a container containing the solution to be analyzed must be carried out without contamination of one sample by the taking of the previous sample; PA1 the deposition of each sample on its associated support must be carried out very accurately and reproducibly for successive samples. PA1 a main support provided with displacement means enabling it to successively occupy at least five positions, PA1 a piston syringe mounted on the main support and provided with means for displacing said syringe relative to said main support, and means for grasping a hollow solution sampling needle by one of its ends and means for displacing the piston; PA1 a distributor of a plurality of hollow sampling needles provided with means for successively presenting each needle at a first location corresponding to the first position of the syringe-holder support, whereby prior to sampling the solution each hollow needle is new and has a length slightly exceeding the subsequent precise length, PA1 a cutting device placed in a second position corresponding to the second position of the syringe-holder suport for cutting a needle held by said syringe end gripping means to the precise length at a precise point in space, when the syringe-holder support is placed in its second position, PA1 a solution sample distributor having several recesses provided with means for successively presenting each recess at a third location corresponding to the third position of the syringe-holder support, each recess serving to receive a solution sample prior to a complete operating cycle of the automatic means, PA1 an analysis or analytical support holder provided with displacement means enabling it to occupy three positions, whereof the second corresponds to the fourth position of the syringe-holder support, PA1 a means for gripping the analytical supports and PA1 a means for extracting the analytical supports, PA1 a new analytical support distributor having a plurality of recesses, provided with means for successively presenting each analytical support at a location corresponding to the first position of said analytical support holder, each recess serving to receive a new analytical support before a complete operating cycle of the automatic means, PA1 a receiver for analytical supports following sample deposition having several recesses, provided with means for successively presenting each recess at a location corresponding to the third position of said analytical support holder, each recess of the receiver being left free prior to a complete operating cycle of the automatic means, PA1 a used needle extractor, placed at a location corresponding to the fifth position of the syringe-holder support, and PA1 per se known means in automatic equipment technology for actuating, programming and positioning the relative displacements and operations of the various devices and means referred to hereinbefore which, by their combination, form the aforementioned automatic means.
However, hitherto no such programmable automatic means having all these features is known.
Thus, the invention has the essential aim of proposing such a novel, automatic means.